What Happens In Vegas
by clarebones
Summary: Four BAU team members are having a great time on vacation in Vegas, until something goes horribly wrong. Will one team member go to jail for another's murder? That all depends on what CSI Catherine Willows and the rest of the LVPD Crime Lab discover.
1. Chapter 1

"I never...kissed a member of the same sex." Morgan laughed, looking around the table. Emily took a swig of her beer, and Carrie sheepishly followed suit. Emily nearly choked on her drink.

"What?" She laughed, raising her eyebrows at Carrie. "Miss genteel Southern Belle?"

"Hey-it was a frat party," Carrie shrugged, blushing. "I _did_ spend over half my life at a university, you know."

Morgan laughed hard, his eyes shining from amusement, and the beer.

"Ok, Carrie," he sighed, "your turn." He eyed Spencer across the table. Spencer's glass was practically untouched, while Morgan, Emily, and Carrie were all on their second round already.

Carrie thought a moment, grinned, and said, "I never got caught having sex." Morgan and Emily each drank. Carrie clapped, and Spencer chuckled.

"Ok, my turn!" Emily thought for a moment. "I never...kissed another BAU team member!" She directed her amused glare at Morgan, but her expression turned to shock when she saw Spencer and Carrie exchange looks before drinking in unison.

"Wait, wait, wait..." Emily started, looking back and forth between the two of them. Spencer ignored her eye contact and interrupted.

"I think it's my turn," he said, looking at Morgan, who was looking back at him with an impressed expression. Spencer continued, "I never called in sick because I was hungover." All three of the others drank, laughing at each other.

"Kid, we need to get you caught up. You basically haven't done anything." Morgan teased Reid, patting his shoulder.

"Oh, he's done plenty, we just aren't saying the right things." Emily pointed out. Carrie bounced in her seat, waving her hand.

"Ooooh pick me! Pick me!" She called out, giggling. The others grinned at her, amused by her tipsy outbursts.

"I never got a PhD in math!" Carrie squealed.

"Now we're talking!" Emily laughed as Spencer drank, getting the idea.

Morgan piped up, "I never did a magic trick!" Spencer drank again, rolling his eyes. He knew they would pick on him until he'd had at least two more beers.

Before long the four of them were thoroughly toasted, and had abandoned the game in favor of telling each other hilarious work-related stories.

"Oh Lord, don't make me laugh anymore," Carrie sighed. "I think my scar is going to split!" She groaned, clutching her ribs. Spencer got up from the table, using Morgan's shoulder to steady himself.

"I think I'm going to go up to the room, man," he said, trying to keep his balance. "If I drink any more I can't be held responsible for my actions." Morgan laughed and shook Spencer's hand.

"Don't wait up, I'm going to hit the casino floor again and see if I can't win some more cash to spend on gifts for my Babygirl." He looked around the room as he spoke, spotting Emily standing at the bar with a rugged, handsome foreigner.

"Wait for me!" Carrie called after Spencer, grabbing his arm. "Em's going to be flirting with that Italian Polo player for God knows how long, and I don't think it's safe for me to try to walk anywhere alone in these heels." She laughed as she stumbled, as if on cue, and Spencer caught her. Morgan winked at Spencer before taking off to find a Blackjack table to join. Spencer and Carrie walked to the elevator arm-in-arm.

"I'm taking these shoes off as soon as we get upstairs." Carrie grumbled, stepping gingerly into the elevator. Spencer grinned at her.

"I'm glad you're having fun," he said, taking her hand.

"Sooo much fun! My first ever trip to Vegas is an epic success." She took a step closer to him, grabbing his tie and pulling him toward her for a kiss.

"Of course," she whispered, her lips softly brushing his cheekbone, "it wouldn't be as fun if it weren't for the company." She touched her lips gently to his ear, then his neck. He shivered.

When the elevator door opened they stepped out into the hall. Carrie slipped out of her slingback stillettos and picked them up by the straps. With them on she'd been nearly eye level with Spencer. Barefoot, her eyes were about level with his chin.

"Emily and Derek probably won't be up here until morning. Why don't you come hang out with me for a while?" Carrie suggested, taking out her room key. They approached the door to the suite Carrie was sharing with Emily. Carrie opened the door and motioned for Spencer to follow. He hesitated. They had spent several nights together, but never consummated their relationship. Was a drunk night in a casino hotel what they would want to remember?

Carrie came back to the doorway and gave him her most adorable pout. She wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled her head against his chest. "Come in here and cuddle with me," she wheedled. "I'm not going to kill you or anything." Spencer chuckled.

"Well if that's the case..." He stepped in the doorway still holding her, careful not to knock her over. She pulled away from him and walked toward the couch. Even after the hours of drinking, dancing, and playing games, she looked as gorgeous as when she'd met him downstairs with the others. Her purple satin dress clung to her curves just enough, her long wavy blonde hair fell across her back, but was stylishly pulled away from her face with a gemstone barette. Spencer realized he was staring, and shook his head. On his way to join her on the couch he dropped his tie and watch on the side table, and his vest on the coffee table.

As soon as he sat down, Carrie climbed onto his lap, facing him.

"Have I mentioned how outrageously sexy you are?" She whispered, kissing him.

"Yes, but you can remind me whenever you want," Spencer replied, out of breath, when Carrie pulled her lips away from his. Carrie grinned, sliding her hands from his shoulders to his collar, and began unbuttoning his shirt. After each button, she planted a kiss on his bare skin, saying,

"You're gorgeous." Unbutton, kiss. "And brilliant." Unbutton, kiss. "And sweet." Unbutton, kiss...

Each time her lips touched his skin, Spencer's heart raced faster. As Carrie pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside, Spencer thought to himself,

"Yes, a drunk night in Vegas is going to be worth the memory."


	2. Chapter 2

Emily yawned, softly closing the door behind her and tucking Giuseppe's number into her purse. Smiling all the way down the hall, she did a girlish twirl at her door and leaned her back on the wall while she took out her room key.

"Those Italian men..." she sighed, turning back to the door and opening it. It was quiet inside, so she figured Carrie was still asleep. Her jaw dropped when she saw Spencer's vest on the coffee table, and his shirt carelessly tossed on the floor.

"Naughty kids!" She laughed, pulling out her phone. Morgan would have to hear this.

"This better be important," Morgan grumbled. Clearly Emily's call woke him up.

"It's ten a.m. Do you know where your roommate is?" Emily chuckled.

"I figured he was in bed. His door is shut." Morgan yawned.

"Well his shirt and vest are in the floor here, along with my roommate's dress," Emily laughed, and Morgan joined in, chuckling.

"That's my boy," Morgan sighed. Emily walked further into the room, looking around. Something in the floor caught her eye.

"Oh my God, Morgan. You need to get down here, now." She crouched, taking a closer look at the carpet. "I just found blood spatter. There's a trail..." She heard a noise, dropped her phone and picked up the closest blunt object, which was a bottle of champagne on the end table.

"Carrie? Reid?" She called out, looking around before standing up. She tiptoed around the corner, following the trail of blood. It was still red and looked fresh. As she came around the corner she heard something behind her and turned. "Hello?" She called into the other room. She didn't see anything, so she turned back to the open bathroom door. What she saw made her drop the champagne bottle and run forward.

Carrie was lying in the bathroom floor on her stomach, dressed in nothing but black boyshort underwear. She was facing away from Emily, the bloody mass of tangled hair at the crown of her head looked like one of the big flower barettes she wore to formal occasions. Morgan yelled for Emily from outside the door, and she went to let him in, hoping he had called 911 on the way downstairs.

"Cops and ambulances are coming. Where are they?" Morgan asked, walking straight in.

"Carrie's in the bathroom," Emily replied, her voice cracking. "I haven't seen Spencer."

"Let's check both bedrooms." Morgan opened the first door, nodding at Emily, who went to the other.

Morgan stepped into the room and looked around. The room looked like a tornado had gone through it, and it wasn't just Carrie's normal state of clutter. The bedclothes were tangled up in a pile on the floor, a vase of flowers was also in the floor, broken. There was blood on the corner of the dresser, and hair stuck to it. It definitely looked like a struggle, as opposed to a wild night between young lovers. Morgan definitely knew the difference.

"He's not in here, but something definitely went down, I got blood and long blonde hair on the corner of the dresser." He walked out and looked at Carrie in the bathroom floor for the first time. He cringed when he saw his young friend lying there. "That must be how she hit her head. I don't know how she ended up in here though."

Emily called from her bedroom, "Nothing in here at all. I bet the door hasn't even been opened since I left last night." She joined Morgan, who stood over Carrie with a pained look on his face.

"What I want to know is, where the hell is Reid?" He rubbed his eyes. Another knock on the door brought him back from his pondering, and Emily ran to let in the police and medics.


	3. Chapter 3

Spencer woke up and stretched, instantly remembering the previous night. A grin spread over his face as he remembered the softness of Carrie's skin, each curve of her body, her sigh...he laughed to himself as he got out of bed. It had just occurred to him that eidetic memory had plenty of advantages outside of work and academics. One of Carrie's hoodies was on the chair next to his bed, and he remembered going back to his room wearing that and his own pants. He was sure Emily and Morgan would never let him live this down when Emily found his shirt and vest in her suite.

Spencer dressed and looked for Morgan as he went to brush his teeth. Not finding his roommate, he found his phone and called, wondering if Morgan had already eaten breakfast.

"The fuck, kid?" Morgan answered the phone, sounding flustered. "Where the hell are you?" Spencer was taken aback.

"I'm in our suite, I just woke up!" He replied, wondering why Morgan sounded so upset.

"Get your ass down to Emily and Carrie's room, pronto!" Morgan ordered, hanging up on him. Spencer had no clue what he'd missed, but he ran his hands through his hair, grabbed his wallet and room key, and headed for the elevator.

When he reached the floor below, he was shocked to see police and paramedics walking hastily in and out of Emily and Carrie's suite. He ran the length of the hall and made his way into the room, panic hitting him like a ton of bricks.

"Where have you been?" Emily demanded as soon as she saw him. Spencer looked around the room frantically.

"In bed, in my room. Where's Carrie?" He started toward Carrie's bedroom and Emily grabbed his arm, stopping him. There was police tape across the door.

"Spencer, you need to sit down and tell us what happened last night." Emily's expression was serious and worried. A feeling of terror spread throughout Spencer's entire body.

"No...this can't be-" He choked on the words, shaking his head.

"Dr. Reid, I need you to come with me." Spencer recognized CSI Nick Stokes from a past case the BAU had worked with the LVPD. He followed Stokes out of the room, and into a small alcove in the hallway where they could talk privately.

"Reid, I'm going to need you to tell me exactly what happened last night." Stokes started, giving Spencer a serious but friendly look. "That girl in there had someone else's DNA all over her, and from what I can tell of the scene, I'd be willing to bet it's yours. But I'm going to give you a chance to tell me what happened before they send those samples to the lab and Brass comes up here to arrest you."

Spencer closed his eyes and shook his head, thinking back.

"Just start from the beginning. When did you come up to the room with Dr. Scarlet?" Stokes prompted. "Your buddies said you two headed up here about one a.m."

"Yeah," Spencer agreed. "Around one, I was ready to go back to my room and Carrie's feet hurt from her shoes. We got in the elevator, and she started kissing me, so when we got to the room and she invited me in, I followed her."

"Was anyone in the hallway when you got to her room?" Stokes made notes on a small notepad as Spencer talked.

"No, the hallway was empty. We went inside and, well..." Spencer sighed, knowing he would have to give a certain amount of detail, as he'd led enough interrogations himself. "We had sex. At about six this morning, I left her in her bed, asleep, and went back to my room. I went to sleep and just woke up before I came down here." Stokes nodded as he wrote.

"So you're saying when you left her this morning, she was asleep in her bed and nothing in the room was out of place or suspicious?" Stokes confirmed.

"Exactly. I kissed her goodbye and went to my room. Everything was how we had left it." Spencer buried his face in his hands. He was worried that no one had told him exactly what happened to Carrie. He feared the worst.

"Ok, Reid. I'll take this to Brass with the evidence. If the security footage confirms you left this room around six, and we can find something solid to count you out as a suspect, I'll call you right away and let you know. But for now, if I were you, I wouldn't go anywhere near that room." Stokes shook Spencer's hand as the two stood up. Spencer started to walk away when Stokes spoke up again.

"Oh, and Reid?" he called out. Spencer turned back around to face him. "You know the drill: Don't leave town."


	4. Chapter 4

Katherine Willows sat in the chair next to the hospital bed. She'd never met Dr. Carrie Scarlet, but had heard a lot about her since Carrie had joined the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. Carrie was unconcious, but finally in stable condition. Katherine's heart swelled at seeing the young doctor in this condition. Carrie almost reminded Katherine of her own daughter.

"Carrie, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm going to take some samples from you. I'm not going to hurt you. Just scrape under your fingernails and swab your skin." Katherine knew the girl couldn't hear her, but she felt better explaining what she was going to do. She carefully scraped under Carrie's fingernails, loosening some skin cells and dropping them into a small evidence vial. She then dipped a cotton swab into some solution and gently rubbed Carrie's face. The nurses had already done a rape kit on the poor unconcious girl, and Katherine would collect their samples on her way out, and get Greg to process them with her own.

As Katherine collected her samples into a bag, Carrie stirred. Katherine started to call for the nurse, but Carrie's eyes didn't open.

"Wake up soon, sweetheart," Katherine whispered near Carrie's head. "Your boyfriend could sure use your statement to clear his name."

Back at the lab, Katherine produced all of the samples from the hospital for Greg.

"Are these from that FBI agent I heard Nick talking about?" Greg asked, sorting the vials on the counter.

"Yes, we're pretty sure all of the samples will be a match to her boyfriend, but Brass wants us to run them all just to be sure. Can you handle this alone? I'm going to go pick up the other two FBI agents from the airport." Katherine shouldered her bag and waited for Greg's response.

"Sure thing. This shouldn't take long, and if they all match the boyfriend, he should be in the system of government employees." Greg set up some test tubes and droppers as Katherine left. She passed Nick in the hall and he nodded at her.

"Still think it's the boyfriend?" She asked him. He stopped.

"You know, I've met the guy before, and he's real nice, kinda quiet. But we pulled his records. Looks like he's had some trauma just in the past few years since he's been a Fed. Torture, drug addiction, illness... Not to mention a family history of Schizophrenia. I don't want to make assumptions, but I think there might be more to this story than meets the eye." Nick shook his head, scanning a file as he spoke.

"Well let me know what you find out. I just saw Scarlet in the hospital, and she doesn't look good. Hopefully she'll wake up soon and we can get her statement. Otherwise, I don't think Brass is going to hold off on arresting Dr. Reid much longer." Nick nodded at Katherine as she spoke, and promised to call.

Katherine immediately recognized agent Aaron Hotchner when she pulled in at the airport. He was standing outside with a woman Katherine didn't know, but assumed was the other agent Hotch had brought along with him for help. There were two agents at the hotel already, but both were witnesses and Brass had made no attempt to hide the fact that he didn't trust them. Katherine parked on the curb in front of Hotch and the other agent, and got out to help them with their bags.

"Hotch, it's good to see you again. I wish it could have been under more pleasant circumstances," Katherine greeted Hotch, shaking his hand.

"It's nice to see you again as well, CSI Willows," Hotch was more formal with Katherine, shaking her hand before gesturing to the woman beside him. "This is Agent Bethan Callahan. I recently recruited her to the team from the Manchester police force."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Agent Callahan. Welcome to Las Vegas." Katherine reached out to shake Bethan's hand.

"Nice to meet you, CSI Willows. I also wish it could be under better circumstances." The women shook hands, and Katherine opened the passenger side doors, allowing Hotch to place the bags on the far side of the back seat before helping Bethan into the front seat. Katherine grinned as Hotch gently shut the door on Bethan.

"When did you become such a gentleman?" Katherine teased under her breath as Hotch passed her, headed for the back seat. Hotch sighed.

"Let's just get to the hotel so I can get my team straightened out. We can catch up later." He almost cracked a smile as he climbed into the car, closing the door on Katherine. She chuckled, walking back to the driver's side and getting in the car.

"How much did Brass tell you over the phone?" Katherine asked the agents, carefully navigating the airport traffic. Hotch shifted in his seat.

"Just that one of our agents was attacked and another is the primary suspect. He didn't even give me names, let alone details." Hotch seemed frustrated. Katherine merged onto the interstate before providing details.

"Dr. Scarlet is in the hospital. She was found this morning in the bathroom floor of her hotel suite. Blunt force trauma to the head. She's stable, but until she wakes up we won't know what actually happened. Physical evidence suggests that she and Dr. Reid, well...spent the night together. There was a struggle in the bedroom, and apparently Dr. Scarlet fell or was pushed, and hit her head on the corner of the dresser. Dr. Reid woke up in his own room this morning, claiming that when he left Scarlet's room, she was in bed sleeping. Brass is ready to arrest him if we can't find some evidence to suggest that anyone else was in that room before Agent Prentiss came back this morning and found Scarlet there." Katherine braced herself for Hotch's reaction.

Bethan spoke up. "That's not possible," she started. "I have probably spent the most time with Reid and Carrie, together. Reid loves her, they..." Hotch cut her off.

"Beth, quiet." He ordered. Katherine peeked at him in her rearview mirror. His face was a all seriousness. Bethan turned in her seat.

"Aaron! You know I'm right!" She pleaded with him, looking to Katherine. Hotch sighed.

"Beth, please." He placed his hand on her shoulder before addressing Katherine. "What makes Brass think it was Reid? Other than the fact that they were together last night." Katherine thought back to what Nick had said back at the lab, and decided it was best not to bring that up just yet.

"The only physical evidence we've found in the room points to Reid. All we have to go on other than that are his statement, and witness statements from Prentiss and Morgan, neither of whom were actually in the room or saw Reid before they found Scarlet in the bathroom." She chose her words carefully, not wanting to sound like she was implicating Spencer in Carrie's assault.

"So there's no evidence pointing to a third party, but very little pointing to Reid." Hotch confirmed. Meanwhile Bethan muttered under her breath,

"It's all bullshit." She rubbed her eyes, trying to hide the tears she could feel welling up in them.

"Well, actually according to the law there is enough evidence to arrest Reid, but Nick convinced Brass to give him the benefit of the doubt while we work. The hospital did a rape kit on Scarlet, I collected samples...we're pretty sure all the DNA results will match Reid. Then there's the fact that witnesses saw him go upstairs with Scarlet, but no one saw him leave. When the DNA results are official, if he's not on that security footage at the exact time he said he left the room, that's probable cause enough. Brass will take him downtown." Katherine hated to sound argumentative, but she felt that sometimes profilers tended to neglect the physical evidence in lieu of their psychological profile. And she was pretty certain Hotch's profile of Reid would be a little biased.

Katherine pulled up in front of the casino hotel. There were police and CSI cars everywhere. Hotch wished JJ had come. He was sure the press would have a fit when they got wind that an FBI agent was being held as a suspect in the assault of another agent.

"Where's Reid? I need to see him right away." Hotch demanded, stepping out of the car. Katherine and Bethan followed him.

"He should be in the-" Katherine stopped short, and the three of them gasped when they saw two officers escorting Spencer out of the hotel lobby. Spencer was in handcuffs. Hotch ran to them, showing the officers his credentials. They stopped.

"What's going on?" Hotch demanded from the first officer. Brass joined them, answering,

"Dr. Reid is under arrest for the sexual assault and attempted murder of Dr. Caroline Scarlet." Hotch glared at Brass. "I assure you, Agent Hotchner, he has been properly Mirandized and is well aware of his rights." Hotch looked into Spencer's face. Spencer looked like a scared child, fighting tears.

"You don't say a word until I get there, do you understand?" Hotch placed his hand on Spencer's shoulder as he spoke. Spencer nodded at Hotch as he was ducked into the police cruiser. Hotch turned on Brass.

"He's a kid, Brass! You've known him for years. He grew up here. Do you really think he did this?" Hotch kept his voice level, but could feel the color rising to his face when Brass grinned, smugly.

"Why don't you just do your job and let me do mine, ok Hotch? I'll see you at the station." And with that, Brass walked away to his own car.


	5. Chapter 5

Katherine had taken Bethan up to the crime scene, allowing Hotch to borrow her car to drive to the station. Morgan had insisted on coming along. The two of them drove in silence for a while, until Morgan spoke up.

"Hotch, you don't really think Reid is capable of this, do you?" He didn't look at Hotch as he spoke.

"You know as well as I do that we're all capable of unspeakable things. But that's not to say I think Reid is guilty." Hotch concentrated on weaving through the Vegas traffic, easily remembering his way to the station.

Morgan continued, "Yeah but Reid? Try to kill Carrie? There's just no way. He's madly in love with her."

"I know, Morgan. But the only way we can prove it wasn't him is to prove without a doubt that it was someone else." Hotch circled the station parking lot, looking for a spot, and found one designated for Katherine. Since he was driving her car, he figured he could park there.

Hotch and Morgan made their way through the police station, flashing their credentials at anyone who dared to look at them. They found Brass in the back, outside an interrogation room. Looking into the room through the glass walls, Hotch saw Reid sitting with his hands on the table, staring into space. His eyes were red and cloudy, apparently from crying.

"Hotch, Morgan, good to see you. Can I interest you boys in a cup of coffee?" Brass used a mockingly friendly tone.

"We need to talk to Reid." Hotch was all business, heading for the door to the interrogation room. Brass blocked him.

"I'm afraid you can't interrogate my suspect, Agent Hotchner. You have no jurisdiction here, and I haven't invited you onto the case." Morgan stepped forward, fuming, but Hotch caught him before he could say anything to Brass.

"Look, Brass. Let us talk to Reid, off the record. You can stay in the room. I have an agent in the hospital fighting for her life, and one locked up here under suspicion. I'd like to find out what the hell is going on." Hotch tried to reason with Brass.

Brass thought for a moment, then conceded. "Ok, you can have ten minutes with him, but I'm going to be in there. And Morgan has to wait out here, since he's one of my witnesses. I can't have him compromising information."

"The hell you mean, compromising-" Hotch cut Morgan off before he could finish.

"Morgan, the last thing that's going to help Reid is you losing your temper here. Why don't you call Garcia and let her know what's going on. You know she'll be worried." Morgan glared at Brass, but listened to Hotch and pulled out his phone as Hotch followed Brass into the interrogation room. Spencer looked up at Hotch, and relief filled his face.

"Hotch, I-" he started, but Hotch interrupted.

"We have ten minutes and I need to know the truth." He stood over Reid, glaring. "Did you rape Carrie?" Spencer's expression changed to shock.

"No! I would nev-" Hotch interrupted again.

"Did you fight with her?" He continued to glare at Spencer. Brass's confused look mirrored Spencer's.

"No, Hotch!" Spencer stood up. "You know I would never hurt Carrie, I'm in love with her!"

"Sit down and shut up, Reid!" Hotch ordered. Spencer slumped back into his chair and looked up at Hotch, genuine fear in his eyes. "I don't have time for this right now, tell me what happened!"

Spencer cleared his throat, and answered quietly. "I spent the night in her room, and we had sex. When I left her in the morning, she was in her bed, sleeping. I swear, Hotch. That's what happened." A tear fell from his eye. Hotch didn't respond, but stormed out of the room. Brass followed.

"What the hell was that?" Brass asked Hotch, still confused. Morgan stood up from the bench he'd been sitting on outside the room.

"What happened?" Morgan asked. Hotch shook his head.

"Reid's telling the truth Brass, you saw him. I've been in as many interrogations as you have and I know Reid much better than you do. That kid is telling the truth, and the real criminal is still out there." With that, Hotch made a dramatic exit, Morgan following him. Brass stood in the hallway, confused as to what actually just happened.


	6. Chapter 6

Catherine led Bethan through the hotel lobby. Both women were still shaken from the scene outside. Neither one spoke until they got to the elevator.

"Scarlet and Prentiss were sharing a suite at the end of the second floor. Reid and Morgan were in the suite directly upstairs." Catherine informed Bethan as they reached the second floor. The yellow crime scene tape was immediately recognizable at the end of the hallway. Bethan's heart sank with the anticipation of what she would find behind that tape.

"Are you going to be ok with this?" Catherine asked. Bethan suddenly realized she had been holding her breath. "We don't have to do this right now." Catherine stopped in the hall and placed her hand on Bethan's shoulder.

"I need to find out what happened to my friends," Bethan replied. "I need to get Reid home to his favorite girl." She smiled, taking a deep breath before following Catherine under the tape and into the room. Catherine stepped aside, having already processed the crime scene that morning. She gave Bethan her space to orient herself.

"There's blood and hair on the corner of the dresser in Carrie's bedroom. She either fell on it or was pushed. The blood trail didn't start until here though," Catherine said, showing Bethan the plastic number where the small pool of dried blood was.

Bethan silently followed the trail to the bathroom, where there was a much larger pool. She tried not to imagine Carrie lying there, half naked and brutalized.

"My God, girl. What mess did you wrap yourself in?" Bethan muttered under her breath, thinking of the last time she'd seen Carrie and Spencer together. They had been so tender, so shy about letting the rest of the team know about their delicate relationship. Bethan knew in her heart that the bloody mess she was looking at, the terror of the ransacked bedroom, was not a product of that budding romance. She turned to Catherine, who was waiting patiently in the other room.

"I'm gonna say this to you," Bethan started, walking out towards Catherine,"not only as a friend of Carrie, or Spencer. As the only one who knew they were a couple. Spencer didn't do this." Catherine was moved by Bethan's tone of conviction, but kept her face calm and serious.

"I believe you, and I believe Spencer's story is the truth. We're going to need more evidence though." Catherine walked Bethan back to the door and out of the room. "If we can't find something to suggest there was a third person in this room, Spencer is going to take the fall."

Catherine's phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID. "Excuse me," she said to Bethan, taking the call. Bethan meandered down the hall, lost in her own thoughts while Catherine spoke hurriedly on the phone.

"That was one of my coworkers, CSI Nick Stokes," Catherine said, catching up with Bethan. "He just finished reviewing all the security footage from last night and early this morning."

"And?" Bethan became impatient. "Was my guy on there? Course he wasn't, or you would have told me. Tell me the news now, one way or the other, because I really could do to tell Aaron." It struck Catherine that Bethan referred to her superior by his first name. She wondered if it had something to do with what Hotch said they should catch up on.

"He saw Reid and Carrie enter the room together, at one a.m. Then he saw Reid leave the room at 6 a.m., like he said. But..." Catherine hesitated.

"But what?" Bethan nearly screamed. "I'm going out of my mind here. I don't believe Spencer did it, but you are all obviously convinced of something!" She choked up, but continued, her voice on the verge of a sob. "This is the man who teaches my five-year old Maths. He cuddles my 19-month-old to sleep on nights when my other daughter won't let me do it." She let a sob escape, wiping her eyes with her hands. Catherine placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, and Bethan looked up at her, genuine desperation in her eyes.

"I need to know this, Catherine." Bethan whispered. "Not just for my team, but for my family."

Catherine answered her quietly. "I'm sorry, Bethan. It just doesn't look good right now. No one else entered or left the room between the time Reid left and Prentiss got back at ten. Not through the front door anyway." She carefully weighed her next words before she spoke again.

"How much do you know about Reid's past? The station pulled his FBI records, and they're going to try to use his past trauma and drug use, as well as his family history of mental illness, to nail him to the wall. If you're going to try to get Reid off the hook without Carrie's statement, which at this point we can't count on coming in time, your team is going to have to find a way to figure out who really did this." Bethan was crying hard by now.

"He didn't do this, Catherine!" Her voice broke in a sob. "I know he didn't do this. I need to call Aaron. I need to see him." Bethan ran for the elevator and disappeared. Catherine went back to the crime scene, determined to search every nook and cranny until she found something that would let Reid off the hook.


	7. Chapter 7

"The balcony door couldn't have been the point of entry. It's locked from the inside, and there isn't a single print on it, like it hasn't been touched since the room was last cleaned." Catherine spoke into her tape recorder, taking a closer look at every inch of the room. She even scanned the walls and ceiling. Suddenly, she noticed something.

"The corner of the vent near the bathroom is bent, but the others are in pristine condition." She stopped the recorder, put it in her pocket, and put on a pair of latex gloves before moving a chair under the vent. She carefully removed the vent cover and examined the bent corner. Setting it aside, she climbed back onto the chair and got out her flashlight, scanning the edges of the vent. She noticed some fibers stuck to the corner. Climbing down from the chair, she put away the flashlight and got out her recorder.

"Looks like some fibers stuck to the corner of the vent. Possibly denim." Snapping the recorder off, she pulled out her phone and dialed.

"Nick," she said when he answered. "I need you to come back to the hotel room and bring a ladder. I just found something. I'm pretty sure now that Brass has the wrong guy."

"This better be good, Catherine," Brass grumbled, entering the hotel room with Stokes.

"It is," she replied. "Nick, you got that ladder?"

"Sure do." He came around the corner, setting up the ladder where Catherine directed him. Catherine climbed the ladder with her flashlight, and pointed out the threads to Stokes and Brass.

"Someone's been through this vent," she said, plucking the threads from the vent and dropping them into the evidence bag Stokes offered her, "and I guarantee it wasn't Spencer Reid." Brass sighed.

"You want me to let go of my prime suspect because of some threads from a pair of jeans in a vent?" He complained, knowing Catherine was right.

"Not just threads," Catherine added, peering into the vent with her flashlight. She reached her hand into the horizontal shaft and pulled it back out with a rust colored residue on the fingertip of her glove. "There's blood in there too."

"This could definitely suggest that a third person entered, and exited the room between six a.m. and ten a.m." Nick confirmed, grinning at Catherine. Brass shook his head in defeat.

"Alright already, I'll let the boy go, you two just find out who was in that vent." He conceded. Catherine cleared her throat. Brass raised his eyebrows. "No, Catherine." He punctuated his statement with a hand gesture.

"They're already here, Brass. We could use their help." Catherine wheedled. Brass stood firm.

"I'm not inviting the BAU onto this case. We don't need them. A psychological profile isn't going to help us catch this guy when we don't even have enough physical evidence to figure out who did it."

"Yeah but they have a personal interest in this case. One of their own agents is in the hospital. They'll be ruthless, they might be able to find out things we wouldn't have noticed." Stokes argued. Brass turned to walk away. At the door he turned and called out,

"You get Hotch and the Brit on the case. The others are still witnesses, and I don't want them hanging around compromising evidence. When we catch this guy, we're going to need a clean case to take to court." He didn't wait for their replies as he exited, shutting the door firmly behind him.

"You gonna call Hotch?" Stokes asked, turning to Catherine. Her phone was already pressed to her ear.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Carrie woke up screaming. A nurse ran into the room, holding Carrie down as she struggled to get out of the bed, pulling at her i.v. and monitors.

"It's ok, sweetie," the nurse cooed, shushing Carrie and stroking her hair. "You're in the hospital, you're safe." Carrie tried to slow her breathing as her vision focused on the nurse's face.

"Where's Spencer?" Carrie demanded, looking around the room.

"Who's that?" The nurse asked, but Carrie ignored her.

"He was right beside me, where is he?" She cried, pushing the nurse away.

"Honey, the only person who's been in here today was CSI Willows." The nurse pressed the call button, concerned that Carrie was having a fit.

"He was right there, holding me, and then I woke up and he was gone, and-" Carrie couldn't finish, she was crying so hard. A male nurse rushed into the room.

"I don't think she knows what she's saying," the female nurse explained. The male nurse took Carrie's hand, and when she looked at him, she screamed.

"Get away from me! Get him away from me!" She was hysterical, trying to climb out of bed and away from the male nurse. The female nurse caught her and held her still while the male nurse prepared a syringe.

"It's ok sweetie," the woman said to Carrie, "this will help you relax."

The male nurse gave Carrie the shot, and she quickly became disoriented. Leaning back against her pillow, tears poured down her face.

"Don't leave me," she whispered to the first nurse.

"Don't worry sweetie, you'll be asleep in no time. It will be like this never happened, I promise."

As Carrie drifted off, the two nurses left the room. The male nurse turned to the female as they stepped into the hall.

"Well, that was close," he remarked, placing the used syringe into the needle disposal.


	8. Chapter 8

Bethan sat with Spencer at the police station. Hotch had brought her there. It unnerved Bethan, sitting across the table from her dear friend, in the interrogation room. Spencer was handcuffed to his chair.

"I don't know what to do, Beth," Spencer moaned, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "Nobody believes me, not even Hotch."

Bethan tried to force a smile. "I believe you, Spen. I know you'd never hurt Car." She reached over and patted his free hand on the table.

"They won't even tell me what happened to her." Spencer whispered, looking at his handcuffs rather than her face. "Is she-" He couldn't make himself say the words. He had nearly lost her once, before they were really even in a relationship. That had been torture for him, and the thought of losing her now crushed him entirely.

"No, no. She's in the hospital." Bethan walked around the table and rested her hands on his knees, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Look, Spen, you need to be strong. For Carrie, for me. For the kids at home who need their aunty and uncle to come home and spoil them when mummy isn't watching." Spencer nodded, sniffling.

"I hate to break up this precious moment here," Brass announced as he burst into the room, "but it seems the good doctor has made bail." Spencer and Bethan stared at Brass in stunned silence, as Brass crossed the small room and unlocked Spencer's handcuffs.

"What?" Spencer mumbled, confused.

"You're free to go. A Mister William LaMontagne Jr. posted your bail. CSI's turned up new evidence and you're in the clear." Brass started out of the room, then turned and added, "For now."

Spencer stood and Bethan hugged him.

"Will paid your bail?" She exclaimed, pulling him in for another hug. "See? I told you. Let's go see Carrie." The two of them left the interrogation room. When they reached the front desk, there stood Will, waiting for them.

"You're here?" Spencer laughed, shaking Will's hand. "Thanks for bailing me out!"

"JJ was worried," Will said in his quiet rambling way. "She wanted me to come make sure y'all were ok." He nodded politely to Bethan. "Nice to see you again, cher."

"Hi Will," Bethan smiled at him. "Nice to see you again too."

"I'm to escort y'all to the hospital to see miss Carrie," Will explained, leading them outside, to his rental car. "I'm afraid I don't know the way though, so why don't you drive, Spencer?" He tried to hand Spencer the keys.

"I don't know if I'm in any condition to be driving right now," he said, handing the keys back to Will. "I'll navigate you." He climbed into the passenger seat. Bethan was already in back, ready to go.

Fifteen minutes later, the three of them walked into the emergency room. Spencer led the way, eagerly.

"We're looking for Dr. Caroline Scarlet," he told the woman at the desk. She checked a chart.

"I don't think we have a Dr. Scarlet on duty today..." she seemed mildly confused.

"No, she's a patient," Spencer explained, impatiently. "She was brought in this morning with a head injury."

"Oh, right, I'm sorry." The woman checked a different chart. "She's been transferred upstairs. Room 254." Spencer took off toward the elevator.

"Thank you ma'am," Will said, nodding to the receptionist before following Spencer. Bethan had nearly caught up to him by the elevator. Spencer was pushing the button over and over again, as if that would make the door open faster. Bethan laughed at him.

"Spen, do not break the button," Bethan urged. "I may seem rich compared to you because my money from home is worth more, but I don't want to be replacing lift buttons." She grabbed his hands. "You'll see her in a minute. It may have been traumatic for her. If she's awake you should let me go in first." She spoke the last sentence to Will, hoping he understood her unspoken request that he restrain Spencer if necessary. As if he read her mind, Will nodded.

"I can't see her if she's awake?" Spencer's face fell. Bethan could tell that after the trauma of the day, he wasn't thinking clearly. He reminded her of Ffion when she was being told not to bring mice into the apartment.

Bethan tried to get through to him without hurting his feelings. "Spen, look at me. Right in the eye, and don't look away. Carrie has had a rough night. Whatever went on after you left was tough on her. If she's awake, and something happened to her...seeing a man might make her upset. It's not just you. Hotch, or Morgan, or Will, even. So until I've seen her, you need to stay with Will." Spencer nodded. He knew all of this; knew Bethan was right.

The elevator door opened, and the three of them got in, each one holding their breath, each for different reasons.

Upstairs, Bethan's phone rang. Will took Spencer aside and got him talking, to give Bethan a chance to take the call.

"Bethan, It's Catherine, can I ask you something? I can't get ahold of Agent Prentiss." Catherine sounded urgent.

"I don't know where Emily is," Bethan replied hesitantly. "I'm at the hospital with Reid and Will. I think Hotch and Morgan are with Brass, maybe you should try them."

"I don't mean to sound insensitive, but is Scarlet awake yet? If you're there, she could answer this. It's nothing intrusive, but very important to the case..." Catherine was impatient, but tried her best not to sound rude.

"Catherine, I literally just walked out of the lift." Bethan replied. "Shall I call you back in five?"

"Just try to find out if Scarlet brought any valuables with her, and had them in her room. A laptop, maybe. Or some jewelry. Call me when you know, and I'll explain everything." Catherine settled.

"Ok," Bethan answered. "I think she had her PDA with her. We all take them everywhere... If she's awake, I'll ask her."

"Thanks Bethan, and give her my best when you talk to her." Catherine abruptly hung up.

"Who was that, Beth?" Spencer asked, biting his nails.

"Catherine, from the crime lab," Bethan told him. "Sounds like she's got something." Bethan put away her phone and took Spencer's hand away from his mouth, like he was her child.

"I'm gonna go check on Carrie now," she told him, looking into his eyes again. "Reid, stay right there. If she wants to see you, I'll come and get you. I promise."

Spencer nodded at her, then turned to Will and started telling him about the interrogation with Brass as Bethan walked toward Carrie's room number. As Bethan reached for the door handle, a male nurse whipped the door open, nearly knocking her over.

"Oh, I'm sorry ma'am." He apologized hastily, dropping a syringe in the needle disposal box on the wall.

"Is she awake?" Bethan asked him, regaining her balance.

"I'm afraid not," the nurse replied. "She hasn't been all day." He looked her up and down, noticing the pistol holster just showing under her jacket.

"Are you a cop?" He asked, seeming nervous.

Bethan appraised his attitude, then responded. "FBI," she showed him her credentials. "Agent Bethan Callahan, I'm one of Dr. Scarlet's teammates."

"She's an FBI agent?" The nurse twitched, and Bethan noticed beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Yes," Bethan replied, narrowing her eyes at the nurse. "And can I ask who you are?"

His eyes searched the hallway nervously, spotting Will and Spencer approaching from near the elevator.

"I'm Taylor Whitney. I'm just a nurse, assigned to these rooms today." He indicated the rooms on Carrie's end of the hall.

"You seem mighty jumpy, Mr. Whitney," Bethan retorted. "Can I have a few words with you?" She motioned for him to follow her into an empty waiting area.

"Will, can you go find another nurse? I want Carrie to be fully looked over." She followed Taylor to the waiting area, then turned and added, "Take Reid with you."

"Yessum," Will replied, grabbing Spencer by the arm as he reached for Carrie's door. The two men headed off toward the nurse's station. Bethan entered the room, offering Taylor a seat. She stood over him, propping one foot on a foot stool in front of him, making sure her jacket fell away at the right angle to reveal her weapon on her belt.

"So, tell me why you're so jumpy, Taylor," she started. "May I call you Taylor?" The nurse cleared his throat.

"I'm new here, I'm not used to seeing cops and Feds around all the time." He replied weakly, scratching his head. Bethan snorted.

"Oh, you don't expect me to buy that, do you Taylor?" She laughed at him, then got serious. "This is a major city hospital, crawling with cops 90% of the time. Now let's quit playing games. What was in the syringe?"

"Pain medicine. For her head. The doctors want to keep her comfortable even though she's not awake." Bethan knew he was full of shit.

"I may be new to the country, Taylor," Bethan put her foot on the floor and got in Taylor's face, "but not the planet. Tell me now and I won't arrest you for interfering in a federal investigation."

Suddenly, Spencer popped his head in the door, "Beth, you need to come here, now," he told her, urgently. Will joined him in the doorway.

"I'll wait with him," Will nodded, indicating Taylor as he entered the room. Bethan followed Spencer into the hallway.

"Ok, what is it, Reid? He was about to break," she changed her tone when she noticed his expression. "Is my girl ok?" She added, softly.

Spencer walked through the open door to Carrie's room, where a doctor stood by the bed, across from a female nurse, who was crying hysterically.

"I'm so sorry!" The nurse cried, speaking to Spencer. "He paid me, and my ex hasn't been paying his child support, so I needed the money." She sobbed. Spencer pushed her away and stood closer to Carrie's bed, taking her right hand as the doctor inserted a needle into the i.v. in her left.

"Who paid you?" Bethan demanded. "What have you given her?" The nurse eyed Bethan's gun in horror.

"Oh God, what have I done?" She cried. "Taylor, he paid me to call him whenever she woke up. He would come in and give her a sedative. I don't know why, I swear."

Bethan took the girl by the arm. "You're going to have to come and wait outside with me. Doctor, do you have any security I can use until I get backup? I need to talk to my boss."

The doctor motioned for Spencer to hold the needle in Carrie's i.v. He took out his phone.

"I'll call them now. I can't believe this was happening right under my nose." The doctor seemed as frustrated as Bethan felt. He called for security, who met Bethan and Will in the waiting room, with handcuffs for the two nurses.


	9. Chapter 9

Hotch and Brass had arrived, sirens blaring, and carted off the two nurses. Bethan rode back with them to assist with the interrogations, leaving Will and Spencer with Carrie.

"This should counteract the sedatives," the doctor said, carefully pulling the needle out of Carrie's i.v. He looked at his watch. "I'd give her twenty minutes to half an hour before she'll be fully responsive."

"Thank you, doctor," Will shook his hand. They looked at Spencer, who sat by Carrie's bed silently, tenderly brushing the hair out of her face with his fingertips. The doctor motioned for Will to join him in the hall.

"I hate to say it, Officer, but that kid doesn't look good." The doctor shook his head, referring to Spencer.

"He's been through a lot today," Will explained. "He was arrested for his own woman's assault, only to get released and come here to this scene."

"I could give him something for anxiety," the doctor suggested, shrugging. "I'm going to be honest, when I first saw him I would have sworn he was on something." Will chuckled.

"Naw, Spencer's always jumpy, today was just really hard on him. And I don't think he would take anything if we offered. He's wary of medicine." As he spoke, Will looked into the room through the spaces between the blinds in the window.

"Well, don't hesitate to call if you need anything," the doctor handed Will a business card, then added, "for either of them." Will thanked him again and went back into the room with Spencer and Carrie.

"That female nurse, Angela, said that Carrie was awake when they brought her up here from the ER." Spencer muttered as Will sat down. "That was hours ago. He's been sedating her on the hour, all day. She could have been..." he trailed off, resting his weary head on Carrie's hand.

"The doc says she'll be ok, Spencer," Will reminded him. "She's just gonna feel real hungover when she wakes up."

The two of them sat in silence for a while, and Spencer dozed off, his head resting on the bed next to Carrie's legs, his hand wrapped firmly around hers. When Spencer's breathing evened out, and Will was sure he was asleep, he stepped out of the room to call JJ and catch her up on the day's events. It was nearly eight p.m. in Vegas, so it was ten back in Quantico. He knew JJ would want a full update before she went to bed.

As Will shut the door behind him, Carrie slowly began to open her eyes. Her head felt extremely heavy, and her eyes throbbed as she tried to focus her vision. She tried to reach up with her right hand to rub her eyes, but something was holding it down. She closed her eyes again and focused on trying to feel. Her whole body felt like she was under water, floaty but heavy at the same time, like she was holding herself at the bottom of a pool, with the pressure making her head feel like it was being squished in a vise.

She opened her eyes again, and was better able to focus this time, but her eyes still throbbed. Her head felt like it was about to split open, and she still couldn't move her right hand. She slowly turned her head to the right, still unable to lift it. Her eyes rested on a curly brown head resting on the bed beside her, Spencer looked small with his tall, lanky frame hunched over in the chair. His hand was clamped around hers, and she realized why she couldn't move it.

"Spencer," she croaked, and her ears rang. She tried to swallow and pop her ears, but her mouth was too dry. She tried squeezing his hand, but couldn't seem to move her fingers. As a last resort, she tried to move her leg enough to tap his head with her knee. It felt like it took all her strength, but she bent her leg, nearly pushing his head off the bed, finally waking him. He looked up, confused.

"You're awake!" He smiled warmly at her, letting go of her hand. She finally rubbed her eyes.

"I need some water," she squeaked in a barely audible whisper. Spencer stood up.

"I'll go get you some, and I'll be right back," he said, adding, "I don't trust the pitcher the nurse left in here." Carrie gave him a confused look, and he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"I'll explain in a second," he promised, quietly leaving the room. Carrie heard him talking to someone in the hallway, and was surprised to see Will enter the room.

"Why hello there, sleeping beauty," Will joked, patting Carrie's knee as he sat in the chair to her left. "How do you feel?"

"Like shit," Carrie replied, still unable to speak above a whisper. Will laughed.

"I'll call the doctor and let him know you're awake," he said, taking out his phone and a business card. As he made the call, Spencer returned with a bottle of water from the waiting room's vending machine. He opened it, and Carrie grabbed it before he could try to hold it to her mouth.

"You are so stubborn when you don't feel good," Spencer remarked while Carrie drank the water in huge gulps. "Please don't choke yourself." She glared at him, still drinking. When she handed him the bottle, it was nearly empty.

"Would either of you care to tell me what the fuck happened?" She tried sitting more upright, but the throbbing pain in the back of her head convinced her to lie back down.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Spencer asked, softly. He took her hand again and ran his fingertips back and forth across her palm and wrist, knowing it would relax her.

"I woke up, and you were gone, and this dude was in my room. When he saw I was awake, he tried to fight me, I couldn't even get out of the bed. Then when I tried to get away from him and get out of the room, I got caught in the sheets and fell backwards and hit my head on the dresser." She winced at the throbbing reminder of her mishap.

"I should call Hotch, he'll want to hear this," Will remarked, starting to leave the room as soon as the doctor came in.

"I'm convinced I should never leave you alone again. Bad things tend to happen." Spencer shook his head, recalling Carrie's kidnapping, which happened only minutes after he had left her house one morning after staying the night.

Carrie squeezed his fingers in her hand, then opened it and let him continue to scratch her palm.

"How are you feeling, Dr. Scarlet?" The doctor asked, writing something on her chart.

"Honestly, I feel hungover, and my head feels like it's cracked open," she told him.

"Well, the hangover is from the excessive sedatives. The cracked open feeling is because you literally cracked your head open on that dresser." Carrie raised her eyebrows as the doctor spoke.

"Sedatives?" She tried again to sit upright, and was a little more successful this time. "Why was I given sedatives?" The doctor frowned at her.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Scarlet. It seems that one of our nurses was somehow connected to your case, and didn't want you to wake up and tell the police what happened. He was going to let Dr. Reid take the fall for your assault." He braced himself for her reaction.

"WHAT?" She raised her voice, causing her to start coughing violently. Spencer opened the water again and handed it to her. She finished it off, cleared her throat and turned to Spencer.

"They thought you...how could...I am so confused." She rambled, leaning back against her pillow again. Spencer squeezed her hand, then reached up with his free hand to gently stroke the side of her face.

"Just relax and don't worry about it right now. We'll explain everything later, when you're feeling a little better." He assured her. "Hotch will be on his way and he'll get all this straightened out. Then we can all just go home." Despite Spencer's reassurances, tears welled up in Carrie's eyes as she irrationally pictured Spencer in a jail cell.

"I'll bring you something for the pain," the doctor told Carrie, "and if you need anything else at all, don't hesitate to call me back here. I'll be attending to you myself until you're released." Carrie thanked him. As he walked out she called out to him.

"Can I have something to eat?" She was ravenous, realizing she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten.

"Of course," the doctor replied, smiling at her. "I can send down some dinner, or you can have someone bring you something. I would recommend the latter." He chuckled and left the room. Carrie turned to Spencer.

"I'm starving," she announced, batting her eyelashes. Spencer got up and leaned out the door, saying something to Will. When he came back he took Carrie's hand again.

"Hotch is bringing you dinner." He felt like he couldn't stop smiling now that he knew she was going to be fine. He leaned over and kissed her again, on the lips this time.

"I think I'll let you two have some privacy," Will laughed from the doorway. "I'll wait down in the lobby for Hotch." Carrie didn't even notice him leave again. She sat up and leaned closer to Spencer, forgetting the throbbing in her head as he wrapped his arms around her and she melted into his kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

Hotch arrived back at the hospital carrying takeout bags from Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill.

"You're my hero!" Carrie exclaimed as soon as she saw the logo on the bags. "How did you know? I love Bobby Flay!" Hotch winked at her.

"A little bird told me," he replied. Bethan and Will followed him into the room. "I brought enough for everyone. I wasn't sure what you would all want, so I got a variety." Carrie sat up and crossed her legs. The painkillers had kicked in and she felt a little better, just hungry. Hotch began taking styrofoam takeout boxes from the bags and passing them out. Everyone got quiet as they dug into the food, passing the boxes around and each trying a bit of everything.

"I never thought I would say this sitting in a hospital bed, but I am so happy right now." Carrie laughed, taking a big swig of sweet tea, which Hotch had specially ordered for her and Will. "How did you get them to make sweet tea?"

"Good things come to those who show FBI credentials," Bethan laughed, winking at Carrie.

"I hate to ruin the moment, but we should get down to business," Hotch said, setting aside his fork and glass as Bethan took the food from him, digging into what was left of his Mango and Spice Crusted Tuna Steak. "Carrie, I need your official statement as to what happened in your room this morning."

Carrie held up her index finger as she chewed a huge mouthful of sauteed spinach. She swallowed, took a drink of her tea, and told Hotch what she'd told Will and Spencer earlier. Hotch made notes in a file he'd carried in with the food.

"When do you think I can get out of here?" Carrie asked as Hotch produced another takeout bag, this one full of desserts. "Although if you're going to feed me like this the whole time I'm in the hospital, I think I can handle staying a little bit longer." She blew a kiss at Hotch as he passed her a huge piece of her favorite, Pineapple Buttermilk Upside-Down Cake. Will answered.

"The doc says he'll release you in the morning as long as all your vitals are good." He reached over with his fork as he spoke, stealing a bite of Carrie's cake. She playfully shook her fist at him as he chewed.

"You just eat your Chocolate Corn Bread Pudding and I won't put you in your own hospital bed," she laughed. The others joined in, laughing around mouthfuls of dessert. Spencer was indescribably glad to see Carrie back to normal so quickly.

"Considering all," Bethan started, taking a sip of her drink, "I think I'm starting to like your country. I wouldn't mind a holiday in Vegas, maybe." She punctuated her statement by taking a huge bite of corn bread pudding. Hotch actually smiled at her, with a glint in his eye. The others politely pretended not to notice.

As they finished their desserts and piled the trash into the takeout bags, Hotch announced that they should get back to the hotel and get some rest so they could start fresh in the morning, now that a more likely suspect was in custody. Hotch, Bethan, and Will each kissed the top of Carrie's head and patted Spencer on the back as they left. When it was just the two of them, Carrie sighed, placing her hand on Spencer's shoulder and tickling his neck with her fingernails. He laughed, and she stopped, resting her palm against his neck, liking the warmth and smoothness of the skin there. Spencer leaned forward and kissed her again, grinning at the taste of pineapple that still clung to her lips and tongue.

"You know what, Spencer Reid?" Carrie sighed, pulling away and looking into his eyes. He kissed both her cheeks before replying.

"What, Carrie Scarlet?" She grinned at him.

"This relationship would work out a lot better if we could go a week without one or the other of us being on our death bed." She laughed, and he took her head in his hands, planting kisses on her forehead, eyelids, and cheeks, before lingering over her lips.

"I don't mind if I'm on my death bed," he whispered, his lips gently brushing hers, making her whole face tingle with anticipation, "as long as you're sitting beside it." He pressed his lips against hers once more, and she thought to herself,

"Sometimes the good overwhelmingly outweighs the bad."


	11. Chapter 11

Hotch and Bethan left for the police station the next morning, each in a much better mood. Hotch had stayed in Spencer's room, since Spencer spent the night at the hospital with Carrie. The hotel had comped a penthouse for Emily and Bethan, and treated them to free room service breakfast in the morning.

"How did you sleep?" Hotch asked Bethan when she met him in the lobby. Bethan shrugged.

"Meh, could have been better. Though I enjoyed the sleep in without screaming children." The two of them laughed as Hotch held the door for her to exit the hotel lobby.

"Wait here, I'll pull the car around." Hotch had dropped Will off at the airport earlier, and kept the rental car for the day. He parked on the curb in front of Bethan, and was out of the car and opening her door before she could get herself in.

"You don't have to do that, you know." Bethan scolded him. "I don't want to go back in some ways." Hotch looked away from her and opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. He shut her door and walked around to the driver's side. When Hotch got back in the car, he was all business.

"We've got these two in the bag," he said, fastening his seatbelt and putting the car in drive. "All we have to do is find out if Taylor was the one who broke into Carrie's room, or just an accomplice." Bethan thought for a moment.

"Taylor seems to be two layers of wax short of a candle." She turned towards Hotch. "What would he have against Carrie? Nice dodge, by the way." She smiled at him. Hotch ignored her last comment.

"It's not so much that he would have anything against her," he explained. "But you know how Carrie is, she's flashy, friendly with strangers, loud when she's drinking. If he thought she had valuables in her room, he may have found out where she was staying and tried to rob her. Catherine said she couldn't find a single valuable item in Carrie's room, and it struck her as odd." He briefly looked at Bethan.

"You know Carrie doesn't travel without her laptop, PDA, designer handbags, jewelry collection..." he added. Bethan nodded.

"Yeah, you're right." She agreed. "I hope it's him. He just about shat himself when I stood at Carrie's door. He spotted my gun and I told him I was FBI. I didn't need to tell him I'm more likely to shoot his foot when aiming for his head because I'm a terrible shot."

Hotch grunted, and it almost sounded like a laugh. "You're not so bad. You should have seen Reid when he first joined. I thought he would never learn how to hold his gun properly, let alone shoot it." Bethan laughed.

"I'm terrible, Aaron! You know I'm awful." She peered at him without turning her head. He kept his eyes straight ahead, careful of the traffic. "So who am I teaming up with today?"

Hotch thought for a moment. "I think Brass and I will go in first, and work him over a little. If he doesn't spill everything right away, we'll send you in with Catherine to pick up the pieces."

"That sounds ok," Bethan started, thinking for a moment. "I think he might respond better to us, but you have to try right? How can anyone deny your face?" This time Hotch grinned.

"I had Garcia run a background check on this guy, and he grew up without his father. So he'll either crack right away under Brass and me, or he'll clam up and we'll send you two in. Kind of a good cop/bad cop times two," he explained as they pulled into the station.

"No offense to Catherine, but can she play good cop?" Bethan laughed, then added, "Good luck, Aaron," with a big smile. Hotch and Brass exchanged nods as Bethan and Hotch approached the interrogation room.

"When we're done with this kid," Hotch started, following Brass, "even Morgan will seem like the good cop." He entered the room dramatically after Brass, slamming the door behind him.

"I'd hate to ever be on their bad side," Catherine joked, joining Bethan in the hall. The two women sat on the bench outside the interrogation room, and tried to talk over Hotch and Brass's shouting.

"It's not the bad side I'm normally worried about," Bethan laughed. Catherine grinned at her.

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but you and Hotch seem pretty close..." she trailed off, giving Bethan a knowing look.

"It's incredibly complicated," Bethan sighed, shaking her head. "I think the worst part is not being able to talk to anyone about it." Catherine perked up.

"Why don't we go have some coffee and a little chat?" She stood up and nodded towards the interrogation room. "They're going to be in there for a while." Bethan followed her down the hall.

"That would be great," Bethan replied. "I woke up when Aaron called to collect me this morning."

Catherine led her through the police station and into the crime lab, which reminded Bethan of her first meeting with Carrie. They stepped into a small break room, and were greeted by a young man whose lopsided grin reminded Bethan of Spencer. It occurred to her how badly she had missed her friends while they were on vacation.

"Hi Greg," Catherine said, taking two styrofoam cups from the counter and filling them with coffee. "Greg, this is Agent Bethan Callahan, from the BAU."

"Nice to meet you, Agent Callahan," Greg smiled at her warmly, shaking her hand.

"And you, Greg," Bethan replied, taking the coffee Catherine offered. "Ohh, coffee." She sipped carefully.

"Greg, do you have those DNA results for me?" Catherine asked, blowing on her coffee to cool it before taking a sip.

"Yeah, I'll go get them," he said, leaving the room. In a few seconds he returned, handing Catherine a file.

"We were able to match the saliva, skin from under her fingernails, and the, er..." he glanced at Bethan before continuing, "male contribution to the boyfriend, like you expected. We did find something interesting though. In the photos from the rape kit, there was a picture of a bruise on her upper arm. It turned out to be a handprint. Hodges and I were able to get a full print from the image of the bruise. We couldn't find a match, but it definitely wasn't Dr. Reid's handprint. His fingers are longer and thinner."

"Good work, Greg," Catherine smiled at him, handing the file to Bethan. Greg said goodbye to the both of them and went back to his lab, leaving the women alone in the break room.

Bethan set the file aside. "I'm not sure I really wanna look at a file about my two best friends," she said. "I can pass it on to Aaron when he comes out..." she trailed off, staring at her coffee.

"That's fine," Catherine told her, with a tone of understanding. "So, I hope this isn't too nosy, but are you and Hotch a couple?" She sipped her coffee while waiting for Bethan's reply.

"That is the complicated part," Bethan sighed, thinking over another sip of coffee. "Yes and no. It really depends on how you look at the term 'couple.'" Catherine nodded.

"We have a...thing. That's for sure, but there is...stuff...in the way." She met Catherine's eyes, which were full of sympathy.

"Relationships are complicated. I'm a single mom myself, so I know the routine." She chuckled. "If you don't mind my asking, what kind of 'stuff' is in the way? I know the FBI has some pretty strict fraternization rules..." she trailed off as Bethan looked uncomfortable.

"Aside from the fact that between us we have three kids," Bethan started, blushing, "there's also the problem of Veronica...Aaron's wife." Catherine's jaw dropped. Bethan hastily added, "I know it's wrong and all sorts of crap..." she trailed off.

"We didn't plan it," she finished. Catherine leaned against the counter, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I'm not going to judge you, Bethan," she promised, turning her coffee cup in her hands, "I'll be honest. I didn't know Hotch had remarried after Hailey-" she didn't finish the sentence before starting the next one. "When I saw you two, I assumed you were a couple by the way he acted around you." Bethan's eyes lit up at Catherine's observation, but she contained her momentary excitement.

"I think he rushed into things with Veronica," she explained. "They've only been together a few months. They got married six weeks before I met him. He loves her, but they are so different." Catherine looked over Bethan's head and her eyes widened.

"We got the confession," Hotch said from the doorway. Before Bethan could turn around, he was walking away.


	12. Chapter 12

Bethan caught up with Hotch outside the police station. She knew he could hear her footsteps as she followed him out, but he never slowed his pace. When he reach the car he stopped and finally turned to her.

"What makes you think you can just chat about my personal life to anyone who will listen?" He glared at Bethan, and she realized she'd crossed a line. However, she was determined to stand her ground.

"Aaron, it wasn't like that," she argued, crossing her arms. "For one thing, it isn't just YOUR personal life, or are you forgetting that?" He stiffened, keeping eye contact.

"My relationship with my wife is hardly Catherine Willows' business. We had an agreement to keep this between us. Or are YOU forgetting THAT?" He fumed.

Bethan walked past him and opened the car door. "I tell you what," she started, "you really want to know my thoughts? Then get in. Nobody needs to hear this." She climbed into the car, shutting the door firmly behind her. Hotch hesitated before taking his time walking around to the driver's side and getting in.

"What do you want from me, Beth?" He sighed, rubbing his eyes. He looked at Bethan, and her trained eye could see past his anger and frustration to the exhaustion and stress behind it all.

"What I want from you is to not fly off the handle before giving me a chance to explain myself," Bethan tried to keep her voice level, but couldn't. "Aaron, do you have any idea how isolated this makes me? Do you have any CLUE how hard this is on me?" Hotch's glare hardened.

"Well I'm sorry that during the past month I've been a little too busy lying to my wife to cater to your every emotional need. This isn't exactly a walk in the park for me, you know." He never broke eye contact, and she was caught in his glare and couldn't look away.

"Need I remind you, YOU made the first move." Bethan glared right back at him, shaking her head. "Whatever, I needed someone to talk to. Catherine had already figured out that we were sleeping together. She asked for my OPINION of your situation. I wasn't telling her anything other than my opinion, so get off your horse. I'm sure America is still like England...I'm allowed to have an opinion?"

Hotch faced forward, starting the car. "I don't have time for this right now, Bethan. I have a case to solve, an agent in the hospital, and three who can't leave town until this investigation is closed. We'll finish this discussion when we get back to Quantico." He drove agressively onto the interstate, hitting the accellerator a little too hard. Bethan sat back in her seat.

"We should just end this now, Aaron. It's clearly beginning to affect our work." She stared out the windshield, and the dark clouds rolling in from the horizon seemed to reflect her mood.

Hotch thought for a moment before replying, less harshly, "Is that what you want?"

"No," Bethan answered, softly. "It's the last thing I want, but we're both having trouble separating out professional and personal lives at the moment. Aaron, I know we said we'd never admit it outside, but I've fallen head over heels for you. No, I don't want to end it." Her voice broke over the last sentence, as she realized what she'd done. She couldn't take back what she'd said, and though they'd both been angry, the damage was already done. She wasn't sure if things would be the same between them after this.

Hotch's phone rang, and he carefully pulled it from his pocket, keeping his eyes on the road. He glanced at the caller I.D. before flipping it open and pressing the speaker phone button.

"Morgan, you're on speaker," Hotch answered, trying to keep his voice regulated.

"Reid just called, boss. They're releasing Carrie. Want me to go pick them up?" Morgan sounded much more relaxed now that Reid was no longer a suspect.

"No, I'm on my way back. Bethan and I will stop by and pick them up," Hotch answered.

"Everything ok Hotch?" Morgan was an excellent profiler, even over the phone.

"Everything is fine, Morgan. Get everyone together in the lobby and be ready when I get there. We all need to get on the same page." Hotch dismissed Morgan's worry in his usual businesslike way. He hung up the phone and returned it to his pocket, taking the exit for the hospital.

"Reid is going to know something's wrong," he muttered.

"Reid always knows when something's wrong," Bethan retorted. She faced Hotch. "I don't know how you feel, Aaron, but we need to address this while we've still got a few minutes. Tell me what you want to do, and I'll do it. Even if it's going back to being with the weird Brit with an unintelligible accent, and a kid who likes mice." Hotch glanced at her, then back to the road.

"I don't know what to do, Beth," he admitted. "I really think we should just talk about this when we get home." His words rang with finality. Bethan settled back into her seat and they drove the last few miles to the hospital in silence. Spencer was just rolling Carrie out of the hospital in a wheelchair when Hotch pulled up to the curb. Bethan didn't get out of the car, afraid if she moved the tears would break loose and she'd have to relive the whole terrible fight by discussing it with Carrie and Spencer. Hotch got out of the car to help Carrie in.

"Wow, a wheelchair?" He raised his eyebrows at Spencer. "Maybe she's not ready to come back after all." Spencer shrugged.

"She can walk perfectly fine," he replied. "She just found this in the hallway and asked me to roll her out in it to see your reaction." Carrie laughed and playfully smacked his hand, getting out of the chair.

"Good one, Spence," she rolled her eyes at him and he grinned at her, pushing the chair back into the lobby. Carrie studied Hotch's posture.

"Everything ok, boss?" Her voice was filled with genuine concern.

"Fine," Hotch replied. "Just thinking about what I'm going to say to the team when we all meet back at the hotel. We still have to help the LVPD wrap up this investigation before you, Reid, Morgan and Prentiss can go home." Carrie nodded at him as Spencer came back. Hotch opened the door, allowing Carrie to climb in. Spencer walked around and got in the other side. Neither Bethan nor Hotch spoke on the drive back to the hotel. Carrie and Spencer could feel the tension in the car, weighing heavy on their sensitive senses of empathy. Carrie reached for Spencer's hand and squeezed it, giving him a worried look. He unfastened his seatbelt, slid toward Carrie and strapped into the lap belt in the middle. Wrapping his arms around Carrie, he silently wondered if the drama of this trip would ever end.

Hotch dropped Spencer and Carrie off at the hotel entrance, taking Bethan with him to park the car. When they were alone, Carrie took Spencer's hand and brought her gaze from the parking lot to his eyes, which reflected the worry in her own.

"What was that all about?" She asked him, shuddering.

"I guess they had an argument. I don't know," Spencer sighed, pulling Carrie to him and holding her there, his arm resting on her shoulders as they walked toward the sliding doors.

"I feel like Daddy just hit Momma at the dinner table," Carrie lamented. Morgan and Prentiss were waiting for them in the lobby. Carrie plastered a smile on her face as they both rushed to welcome her back.


	13. Chapter 13

Hotch and Bethan joined the four agents in the hotel lobby. Bethan took a seat on the sofa next to Emily. Hotch stood in front of the group and addressed them as if they were at a round table meeting back at Quantico. He was all business.

"Unfortunately, due to the circumstances surrounding the investigation, I won't be able to use any of you but Bethan to finish the case. Morgan, Reid, Prentiss, you realize you're all witnesses in the investigation. Carrie, your statement has gone to Brass and is officially on the record. I need all of you to lie low here at the hotel while Bethan and I go back to the station and help the LVPD close the investigation." He focused his glare on Morgan.

"And when I say lie low," he warned, "I mean do not, under any circumstances, leave this hotel." Morgan nodded, understanding that Hotch meant he would not be allowed to come to the police station. It frustrated Morgan not to be able to help, but he was aware that his involvement could compromise the case.

"What should we do in the meantime?" Carrie asked, playing with the ends of her hair, which she did when she was coming up with a plan.

"I don't care what you do, as long as it's in this hotel and as long as you stay out of trouble." Hotch replied. "That's really all I needed to say to you, but I wanted to tell you together and in person so I could get my point across effectively. The four of you are not to leave this hotel. Do I make myself clear?" They each responded yes, groaning like children who had just been put in time-out. Hotch turned to leave without addressing Bethan, but she followed him wordlessly, without a glance to her teammates.

"Is it just me, or was that painfully awkward?" Emily asked, giving the others a confused expression. Morgan nodded.

"Something's up with those two," he observed. "I know it, but I don't know what." Carrie and Spencer exchanged looks, catching the attention of the other two.

"What?" Emily demanded. "What's going on?" Spencer looked at his hands. Carrie bit her lip.

"I don't know," she lied, "but I definitely noticed something in the car on the way here. It was just really tense." Morgan knew she wasn't telling the whole truth, but didn't push the issue.

"So, what are we going to do?" Spencer asked, desperate to change the subject. The others looked at each other.

"We're basically under house arrest in Caesar's Palace. We might as well enjoy it," Emily smirked, rising from the sofa. The others followed. "Who's up for a swim?"

"Yes!" Carrie agreed. "I just can't get my head underwater." Each of the four friends internally decided to let go of what they couldn't control and make the best of the moment they had.

"You know, this could be a lot worse," Morgan pointed out, pushing the elevator button so they could go upstairs and get their swimsuits.

"Yeah," Spencer agreed, pulling Carrie into the elevator, and into his arms. "At least we're all together again." Morgan gave him an evil grin.

"Speaking of being 'together,'" he started, "you and I need to have a man-to-man talk when we get to the suite." Spencer blushed.

"Can it wait until we get home?" He whined, his eyes pleading with Morgan, who merely laughed.

"No way, kid. This needs to happen ASAP." Carrie pulled away from Spencer as the elevator stopped on the second floor.

"Good luck," she smirked, squeezing his hand. Emily stepped out behind her, saying,

"Oh, you think you're not getting the same talk? Wait til we get in the room."

When Bethan and Hotch arrived at the police station, the tension was still heavy between them, and Bethan's nerves were still raw. She fell behind him as he approached the doors, and he stopped, turning to her.

"I don't think I can do this, Aaron," she said, backing away from the station. "I think I'll just wait for you out here." Hotch nodded at her, understanding.

"I'm sorry, Beth. I have to deal with this before I can figure out what you and I are going through." As he spoke, Bethan could see the genuine emotion in his normally glaring eyes.

"I know," she assured him. "Just promise me you won't make any stupid decisions before we go back to Quantico."

"I promise." He walked toward her, reaching for her hand. She let him take it, and he held it for a split second before walking into the police station, leaving her standing on the sidewalk, alone.

"Hotch, I can't thank you enough. I don't think I could have gotten that confession so fast without your help." Brass admitted, shaking Hotch's hand.

"What do you need me to do so that my agents can go home?" Hotch asked, getting right down to business.

"We've processed all the evidence, even found your girl's stolen property in the perp's car. Nick has it in the lab if you want to go pick it up. I have the confession, the evidence Catherine found in the vent, Scarlet's testimony, and a statement from the female nurse the perp bribed. It's a solid case, but I couldn't have done it without you and the Brit. If she hadn't been in the right place at the right time in the hospital, I'd probably still have that skinny kid locked up." Brass handed Hotch a file as he spoke. "You can send your report when you get it finished. As far as I'm concerned, this investigation is closed."

Hotch allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief, taking the file.

"Well, I'm glad this is over. I'd say I hope to see you again soon, but it wouldn't be true," Hotch joked. "No offense, but we never see each other under pleasant circumstances." Brass laughed.

"You're right, as usual, Hotch," he admitted. The two of them shook hands again, and Hotch headed to the lab to collect Carrie's belongings.

Driving back to the hotel, Hotch felt more at ease. He worried about the situation with Bethan, but he put it out of his mind, hoping to settle things when they got back to Quantico. He shook his head, laughing to himself, wondering if it were ever going to be possible for anyone on his team to have a normal vacation.


	14. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Carrie followed Spencer up the steps, holding his hand. She waited patiently each time he hesitated.

"Spencer, it's ok. If you don't want to do this now I understand," she reassured him with a warm smile. His lips smiled back, but his eyes were full of anxiety.

"We're already here," he started, nervously. "I can't leave town without seeing her, and I want her to meet you." He turned and continued up the short stairway which was taking them an unusually long time to climb. Carrie breathed deeply, trying to hide her nerves. Spencer was enough of a nervous wreck for the both of them, and she had no idea what was making him so anxious.

He stopped again when they got to the lobby. Leading her to a small alcove, he took her hands in his own, and looked into her eyes.

"You have to understand about my mother," he started, but Carrie interrupted him.

"Spencer, I'm not going to judge your momma. In fact, I'm already pretty sure I'll love her to pieces," she assured him, stroking the side of his face with her fingertips. He grinned.

"How so?" He loved the way she always made things seem so easy.

"Well, she raised you. I should thank her," Carrie laughed, hugging him. He squeezed her tightly and then led her around the corner. Diana Reid was waiting for them outside on a patio. When she saw them coming, she stood up, giving Spencer a big hug.

"I'm so glad you came, Spencer. I was worried when I didn't get a letter yesterday," she held him at arms length, looking him up and down, before turning her gaze to Carrie. "And you must be Carrie. Spencer is very gifted with description, I'm sure I would have recognized you if I'd seen you alone."

Diana offered her hand, and Carrie squeezed it daintily. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Reid," she said with a genuine smile. Diana smiled back, pulling Carrie in for a hug.

"Oh, sweetheart, Spencer's told me all about you. I feel like I know you already. " She let go of Carrie and beamed at the two of them. Spencer was relieved and happy to see his mother in such a good mood, and being so friendly to Carrie.

The three of them sat together at a wicker table on the patio, and Diana demanded to know all about their vacation. As they took turns describing the events that had unfolded, Diana's expression changed from amusement, to shock, to horror, and everything in between. They spent the afternoon chatting comfortably in the warm June air. Diana had Carrie laughing hysterically over stories from Spencer's childhood, to his mild embarrassment. He felt great, though, watching the two women he loved most take to each other so well. The afternoon flew by much too fast, and Carrie pouted when Spencer said they had to leave and catch their plane.

They each hugged Diana tightly, and she made them promise to visit more often.

"Dr. Reid?" A nurse approached as Spencer and Carrie were about to leave Diana. "I hate to bother you, but a patient cut his hand, and insists he needs a doctor, and won't let the on duty psychiatrist look at it. I was wondering if you'd come, if anything to pacify him."

"Well, I'm not that kind of doctor..." he gently pushed Carrie towards the nurse. She gave him a jokingly annoyed look.

"I'll help you, I'm a medical doctor," Carrie told the nurse amicably, following her through the lobby. Spencer and Diana watched her sit next to the man and pick up the first aid kit.

"So, Spencer," Diana started, still watching Carrie, who was patiently cleaning the man's cut, "when are you going to propose to her?" Spencer turned to her, completely caught off guard.

"Mother! Can we not talk about this?" She turned to him as he spoke.

"Why not? Don't think I didn't notice the way you look at her. I did raise you, you know. I think I can tell when my own son is madly in love." She wrapped an arm around him. "She's an incredible young woman, you should marry her."

"Mom, you literally just met her," Spencer argued.

"So? I'm a good judge of character. Besides, she's Southern. A Southern girl would make a perfect wife for you. They're so friendly and domestic. That would be good for you," she said, reaching over and pinching his bony hip. "When was the last time you had a homecooked meal?" Spencer leaned away from her.

"I really think it's a little too early to be talking about marriage," he suggested, narrowing his eyes at her, hoping she would drop the subject. Naturally, she wouldn't.

"Fine, Spencer," she sighed, "but I'm just saying...I'd like to have grandchildren someday and you're my only hope." She took his face in her hands and kissed his forehead before adding,

"And, no pressure son, but you're not getting any younger." Spencer rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, mother. That's good to hear." He playfully pushed her shoulder.

Carrie rejoined them, and they each hugged and said their goodbyes once more. When Carrie and Spencer finally left, Carrie wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned against him as they walked. He rested his arm on her shoulders.

"Now was that so bad?" She teased, looking up at him. He couldn't contain his grin.

"It was amazing. I haven't seen her in a mood like that in a long time." He stopped at the rental car and wrapped both arms around her.

"I just have that effect on people," Carrie joked. "I can't help it that I'm so amazing." Spencer laughed with her.

"I think that's one of those 'it's funny because it's true' things," Spencer grinned, kissing her softly on the lips.

"Spencer Reid? Did you just make a joke?" Carrie tried to act shocked, and failed, laughing too hard.

"What? I was being serious," he said, kissing her again, harder this time. She pulled away from him when she ran out of breath.

"We really have to go, or we're going to miss our plane." She wiped her mouth and opened the car door. Spencer went around to the driver's side. As he opened the door and got in the car, he thought about what his mother had said, and shook his head. He was so happy with the way things had turned out between Carrie and himself, he wanted to take his time and enjoy the moment, for the first time since he could remember.


End file.
